First Nations creative excellence returns to Fed Square for NAIDOC in the City

Jarred Cross Published June 18, 2026 at 11.00am (AWST)

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Koorie Heritage Trust's First Peoples Art and Design Market with accompanying exhibitions will sprawl Naarm's Fed Square for NAIDOC in the City this July, before artists including Bumpy and Christine Anu take to the stage for a free concert. (Image: City of Melbourne)

A stacked music line up and Koorie Heritage Trust's Art and Design Market are set to take over Naarm's Fed Square this NAIDOC Week.

Every year stalls, workshops and activities for all ages sprawl across the city centre hotspot, with names such as soul and funk powerhouse Bumpy and headliner Christine Anu taking to the stage in 2026.

Both Koorie Heritage Trust's (KHT) First Peoples Art and Design Market and major art exhibitions will feature at NAIDOC in the City on Friday, July 10 from noon and into the early evening.

It's a free afternoon of First Peoples creative excellence.

"This year's theme, 50 Years of Deadly, marks a significant milestone, celebrating five decades of NAIDOC Week as a national platform that recognises, amplifies and celebrates the voices, achievements, cultures and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," KHT said in their invitation ahead of NAIDOC Week.

"KHT honours this legacy and proudly walks alongside the next generation as they continue to shape a strong and just future."

The market features more than 20 First Nations artists and designers. They include JazzySkye Design, Kevin Williams Art Gallery and Haus of Dizzy, in addition to Ray Thomas' debut solo exhibition celebrating 40 years of art and storytelling alongside, Yeerung's Journey, and Tahlia Palmer and Jasper Cohen-Hunter's audiovisual work occupation studies: ngayanhurra bayarral Birrarung (they tried to tame Birrarung).

Barkindji and Ngiyampaa Elder Uncle Colin (Col) Clark's carvings and first solo exhibition 'Connections to Home', as well as 25 works by Dr Jenny Murray-Jones were exhibited in 2025.

R&B, soul and jazz melding Zipporah, guitar-driven singer-songwriter Benny Walker, rapper Crooked TP, Leonie Whyman and Dungala Baimi will perform under lights for NAIDOC in the City this year.

Punk artist Bumpy has been an up-and-coming force of soul in Melbourne and across the country's music scene, while Christine Anu needs little introduction and one of Australian music's most enduring names.

More than 20 stalls will take over Fed Square for the markets on July 10. (Image: supplied)

Briggs headlined NAIDOC in the City in 2024. (Image: supplied)

The event follows the annual NAIDOC March through Melbourne's CBD. (Image: Jarred Cross)

"Explore the vibrant KHT NAIDOC Week Market, featuring over 20 First Peoples stallholders with art, craft, design, fashion, jewellery and more. Alongside the market, KHT will host a variety of free workshops and activities for all ages, as well as a welcoming Elders Lounge and quiet space," Fed Square said ahead of hosting the afternoon.

"This year's NAIDOC theme, '50 Years of Deadly', celebrates five decades of NAIDOC Week as a community-led movement - honouring Elders, leaders, artists and communities who have shaped its history, while building momentum for a strong, resilient future."

The event follows the annual NAIDOC Week march, which brings together thousands in a procession from the inner-north and through the CBD.

NAIDOC Week begins Sunday July 5 with celebrations, recognition and events taking place in Naarm and all over the country.